The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Help I have students who do not attend to books and are not interested in books. These students fall into the early engagement level of interaction, typically they have short attention spans, noncompliant behaviors, and limited engagement skills. This session will describe a collection of strategies both light and high tech that support moving students with autism spectrum disorders forward on a language and literacy continuum. Highlights of this session will be the video case examples and practical support strategies. Too often children with significant disabilities are not provided with ample opportunities nor access to technology because of the child's appearance or behaviors . People, even experienced clinicians, too often give in to perceptions that a child is so severe that the or she is not “worthy” of a higher tech communication device. They feel compelled to provide beyond a doubt that to teachers, less experienced therapists, and others, that a child has enough skills for high end AAC. The irony behind this thinking, of course, is that unless others experience the power of of a child's communication when supported by a particularly skilled teacher or professional, those people will never understand what the child's capability is. Children who have significant behavior issues such as children on the autism spectrum don't easily and successfully pass typical AAC criteria for the determination of augmentative communication systems. There is way too much failure that could have been success. Offering students the opportunity to more easily communicate in early interactions is a step in the right direction. But considering higher tech solutions that do more could be the answer for students whose greatest challenge is not cognition nor desire, but rather access of communication systems. This paper will discuss case examples which demonstrates that “unlikely candidates” can rise to the occasion and in fact can become successful communicators – and, in this case, successful both within classroom and homes. Buekelman and Mirenda have proposed that the ineffective use of AAC by users is the result of limited opportunities for learning within a natural and functional context. Thus it seems reasonable to question the strategies and settings utilized to teach young children with autism the very skills that are the core deficits of the diagnosis itself. In this session case examples will demonstrate how naturalistic techniques paired with high tech AAC and or computer technology can motivate and gain the attention of students who fall into the engagement level of interaction. In addition the session will suggest using literacy based support's to develop and interest and skills in early literacy for those students who appear to be not interested but more importantly how the integration use of both AAC technology and or computer technology can support both communication and literacy skills. Heimann, et.el (a995) discussed how reading and comprehension skills sills can be developed through the use com multimedia computer programs. Heavy emphasis will be placed on book and software selection and the use of light tech supports for children at the early engagement level of interaction. Typically these students are not motivated by books, have very short attention spans and noncompliant behaviors. Significant research exists that supports the effectiveness of storybook reading and literacy as an successful strategy for the learning of language (including AAC) for children with significant communication disabilities. (Liboiron & Soto, 2006). It is a shared activity that supports vocabulary development (Ninio, 1983). It has been proven helpful in establishing, monitoring and maintaining joint attention (DeLoache & Mendoza, 1985). Stroybook reading also limits the context for language, thus increasing the saliency of the situation (Bellon, et al., 2000). Saliency is a significant issue for children with autism, thus stressing the need for language organization that makes sense to them in a functional way. The ability to say more, and to be more engaging, have ramifications far beyond what we should expect. They are a catalyst for huge transformations. Too often students like the case examples discussed in this session never begin on the path to communication because they have no opportunity to do so. Communication can only be learned and understood by experiencing it. David (2004) suggests that children are active learners and that their language development represents only one part of a more holistic development which evolves from cognitive, emotional and social interactions. It will be highlighted that it is only when children were able to use a vocal output system that provided both multiple methods for easy access and also multiple ways to pursue literacy, that they began to engage with others and others began to engage with them. The persistence of moving forward with communication for children was incredibly important: simply having light technology is not enough. Providing children with diverse opportunities to cognitively engage in activities was equally important regardless of whether the engagement was errorless or not. Pairing participation with meaningful activities made a difference for these children and for others in their world.

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